With unprecedented rainfall, Storm Ciarán slams into Italy, killing three and raising the death toll to 10

As Storm Ciarán moved into Italy overnight on Friday, record-breaking rains caused flooding in a large area of Tuscany, trapping people in their houses, submerging hospitals, and flipping automobiles. Ten people have died as a result of the storm across western Europe, including at least three fatalities.

Riverbanks overflowed as a result of 200 millimeters, or about 8 inches, of rain that poured in three hours from the coastal city of Livorno to the Mugello interior valley, according to Italian Civil Protection officials. On camera, at least twelve automobiles are seen being forced down a flooded road.

According to Italian news agency ANSA, among the deceased in Tuscany were an 84-year-old lady who died while attempting to force water out of her house in the same location, and an 85-year-old man discovered in the flooded bottom floor of his home close to the city of Prato, north of Florence. In Livorno, the other victim was reported.

On Friday, one person was reported missing in the Veneto highlands, which are located north of Venice, while at least three individuals were reported missing in Tuscany. Authorities warned that the storm was moving toward southern Italy and put other areas on high notice.
As Ciarán stormed throughout Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany on Thursday, at least seven individuals lost their lives. The hurricane left many without electricity, wrecked houses, and created chaos in the tourism industry.

As the storm passed, hospitals in Pisa and Mugello, Italy, began to flood. Schools were shuttered and rail lines and roadways were interrupted across Tuscany.

The magnitude of the flood that struck Prato overnight shocked the city’s mayor. Early on Friday, locals began attempting to repair the damage.

“A punch to the gut, a hurt that makes you cry.” However, we are putting in the work to clean up and restore normalcy to our city even after a devastating evening and night, as Mayor Matteo Biffoni said on social media.

The Arno River, which flows through the heart of Florence, has reached the first degree of alarm, according to Florence Mayor Dario Nardella, who spoke with Sky TG24. The maximum levels are expected around lunchtime.

“Psychological fear is high, given that tomorrow is the anniversary of the 1966 flood,” Nardella said, bringing to mind the historic 1966 flood that claimed 101 lives and destroyed or severely damaged millions of precious books and works of art.